Battle: London
by Anzac123
Summary: Los Angeles wasn't the only city attacked by the unexpected alien threat. The fires of war burned in many cities but none as ferocious as in London. Please R
1. Starry Night

"Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying."- Arthur C. Clarke

* * *

Hexham, England

February 29th, 2008

There couldn't have been a better night for the two teens to sneak out. The night sky was completely devoid of clouds allowing the sky to show its complete array of stars. The temperature was comfortable and a slight breeze prevented it from being muggy. Andrew Webster and Jennifer Cartwright lay intertwined on a blanket in a field not too far from the town. Both grew up in London where the lights of the city blocked out most of the stars. Out in the country however there was no interference with the sky's natural light show.

"What constellation is that?" Andrew asked pointing up at the sky. Jennifer furrowed her brow for a moment.

"It's Perseus. The guy who killed Medusa and married Andromeda." Jennifer said. Despite growing up in the city she knew more about stars than most amateur astronomers. Andrew twirled a finger in her strawberry blonde hair.

"You going to teach our kids how to spot all these stars?" Andrew asked. They were only fifteen but they'd been dating for five years. Kids may have been a while off but it was nice to think about it.

"Of course. The stars are a wonderful thing." Jennifer said smiling. Andrew chuckled to himself. "What?"

"Our kids are going to learn all about the stars from you and they'll know everything there is to know about the military from me. I just find that funny." Andrew said with a smirk. Jennifer propped herself up on one elbow.

"You're really serious about joining?" The look on Jennifer's face told Andrew she was totally against it.

Andrew shrugged his shoulders and looked up at the sky. "Yeah. I mean it kinda runs in the family. I'll be fine so don't worry."

"My dad said the same thing." Jennifer said coldly and lay back down. The look of joy on her face she had when she was talking about stars and kids had been replaced by a look of sadness and disappointment.

"I love you." Andrew said pulling Jennifer closer. "No matter what happens I'll be okay. I love you too much to let something happen to me."

"You ever wonder what's up there?" Jennifer asked changing the subject in a split second. Andrew looked back up at the stars. He couldn't even begin to count how many he could see and the idea of there being millions more put him in a state of awe.

"Like what? More stars?" Andrew replied. His right hand traced figure eights along her inner thigh.

"Like someone up there wondering what it's like down here." Jennifer said ignoring the slight tingling in between her legs. Andrew was now kissing her neck. She hoped he didn't leave any hickies because if her dad found out she snuck out there would be hell to pay.

"I've never really thought about it. There could be." Andrew said between kisses. At the moment his mind wasn't on the possibility of the existence of alien life.

"You think we'll ever meet them?" Andrew stopped and looked at Jennifer. She was staring up at the sky with a slight smile on her face. He shrugged and went back to kissing her neck. He tried to slip his hand in her pajama pants but she grabbed his hand. "Answer me first." she said with a seductive edge to her voice.

"I don't know." Andrew said and pulled his hand back.

"I sure hope we do." Jennifer said rolling on top of Andrew.

"If you want it so bad I'll build a spaceship, fly into space, grab the first alien I see, and bring it back to you love." Andrew said as he started rubbing her side.

"I love you, hun." Jennifer said. She felt Andrew's warm hand slip up the back of her shirt.

"I love you too." Andrew said and tacked on a smile to show he meant it.

"I know." Jennifer muttered. As much as she hated to admit her thoughts weren't on Andrew. All she could think of was how amazing it would be to meet something from another planet. She was so entranced in her own thoughts she didn't even notice that Andrew had undid her bra. Honestly, she didn't care either.


	2. Last Rites

"War is sweet to those who have never experienced it."-Pindar

* * *

Bulford, England

August 11th, 2011

The normal boredom that surrounded Bulford Barracks was broken. The men of the 3rd Mechanized Division, 19th Light Brigade, 2nd Rifles waited in the football fields north of the base. One thousand three hundred men sat grouped in sections waiting for the helicopters to take them away. The base was fully mobilizing. Most men talked quietly among themselves about what they had just seen a mere six hours ago. The great balls of fire streaking downwards, the way they slowed down a few hundred feet off the ground, the destruction of the docked HMS Belfast, the landing of the things in the Thames River, and the advance of the mechanically looking things from the beach. They remembered how vast groups of people were wiped out by missiles launched by what looked like small walking tanks. Very few of them had seen something like that. Only the few that had been in Afghanistan had seen things like small crowds of people wiped out in a single explosion. All the young men who once talked about how they so badly wanted to go into battle were now quiet. All of them knew exactly where they were going; London. It was on the shores of the Thames River that the things first appeared. And it wasn't only London that was experiencing such an event. Reports were coming in from places like New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Sydney, Cairo, and Los Angeles.

"Well organized, equipped with advanced technology, and extremely tough to kill." was how the intel pukes at the briefing described them. Initial reports indicate they are mechanical in some nature with a metal exoskeleton. Their weapons use some kind of incendiary rounds that are extremely lethal. They have no air force so the Royal Air Force is slowing down their advance by bombing the piss out of them. This hasn't stopped them from occupying a large part of the city. And in the chaos of it all the more and more aliens are landing in the Thames River.

One such section was led by Corporal Willis Westmorland. Under his command were Lance Corporal David Pirie, Rifleman Andrew Webster, Rifleman Anton Marshal, Rifleman Kyle Smith, Rifleman Eric Osburne, Rifleman Alex Franks, and Rifleman Stanley Garrison. All of the men sat in the freshly cut grass but Corporal Willis. He stood searched the sky with a crossed arms and a deep frown on his face. He kept checking his watch every thirty seconds.

"Willie, I don't think checkin your watch is gonna make those helis come any faster." Rifleman Anton said setting his L110 Light Machine Gun on his lap. Corporal Willis shot Rifleman Anton a look that would melt an ice cube but Rifleman Anton just smiled. Rifleman Alex Franks sat on one knee with a sketchpad. He was putting his final touches on a drawing of Corporal Willis. He leaned over and showed Rifleman Andrew that drawing. He did his best to stifle a laugh. The drawing was too funny. It was Corporal Willis in his present pose but in a bunny suit. The drawing was so funny because Corporal Willis was the manliest man in the entire British Army.

"You saw the ways those bleedin walkin tanks wiped out of those civvies?" Rifleman Kyle asked Rifleman Eric who was his L12A1 40mm Grenade Launcher.

"Yeah, man. I've never seen anything like that. You think we gonna be able to knock those buggers out?"

"I think we can knock it on its arse." Rifleman Kyle said poking a finger at the MBT LAW Rocket Launchers that Rifleman Anton and Rifleman Alex carried on their backs.

"And when we knock it on its arse it's gonna get back up and wanna knock us on our arse." Rifleman Eric said.

"That's why they issue us ground pounders two of the things." Rifleman Kyle said with a grin.

Lance Corporal David Pirie sat a few yards away from the rest of the squadron reading his all-time favorite book; All's Quiet On The Western Front. He first read the book in primary school and had fallen in love with it. It was because of this book he joined the army. He wanted to experience what a war was like. He wanted to form an unbreakable bond with the fireteam under his command like the men in the book had. In all honestly he got excited when the Tinnies, as the men called them, opened fire. It meant he and his men were going to be deployed. Now here they were, in a football field waiting for the helicopters to whisk them off to all the glory of battle. Corporal Willis called him a horrible person for wanting to go into combat but he didn't care. He was ready.

The first EH101 appeared as a little dot over the horizon. Several other Merlins followed close behind. Groaning and griping in the typical army way, the men cleared the football fields to allow the helicopters to land. The crew chiefs beckoned the men to come aboard.

"Let's go!" Corporal Willis barked to his section as he led the jog to one of the Merlins. The crew chief helped each man get into the helicopter and helped them sit down. After Corporal Willis' section was seated two more were brought in filling the helicopter. With a total of twenty-four troops excluding the crew chief the air inside of the cabin got stale and hot fast. The smell of oil and gasoline overpowered the men's nose. There was a collective sigh of relief as the helicopter took off and the crew chief left both side doors open flooding the cabin with fresh air. The helicopters circled the base a few times allowing the other helicopters to take off. Eight WAH-64 Apaches met up with the helicopters and the small air fleet headed off. They flew directly over A303 were a long column of Challenger 2 Tanks and Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles was heading towards London and an even longer trail of civilian vehicles were heading away from it. They flew over Andover and Whitechurch which seemed to be perfectly calm. The men caught a glimpse of Basingstoke which was filled with military vehicles heading towards London. They continued east to Woking where they turned north. As they were passing over Staines they could see smoke rising from the city. A Tornado GR4 streaked by with its wings laden with bombs. The men felt suddenly tense as they approached Heathrow Airport. As they descended they saw ten AS-10 Self Propelled Artillery Pieces fire off a salvo. They hopped off the helicopters which didn't stick around longer than needed leaving the men. Heathrow had become a Forward Operating Base or FOB. All coordinating forces fighting in London was being directed from here. They were crowded into a massive tent where a tough looking colonel gave told them what they needed to know.

"Men of Her Royal Majesty's Army, we are facing a threat like we have never faced before. An unknown alien species has made landfall in our country. Most of London south of the Thames is theirs. Our main line of resistance is here." The bulldog faced colonel pointed to a map that had a red line that was a few blocks behind the north shore of the Thames River.

"Whatever these things are, they are smart. They're focusing most of their forces pushing north with just a minor screening force engaging our forces to the west. We're going to use this time to get as many civilians as we can out of the area before retreating across the Richmond Bridge and sending it to the bottom of the Thames. Drones have spotted a large build-up of hostile forces and we believe they are going to push west in an attempt to divide our forces. They are going to have to cross the Richmond Bridge and Twickenham Road Bridge to achieve this. We are not going to let them cross those bridges. But before we go through that we have a casualty med evac site in Richmond Green. This mission will have two parts. I need you to support the men already at Richmond Green and assist in the evacuation of civilians. This shouldn't take more than thirty minutes people. After, you will make your way to defensive positions around the two bridges. Now our engineers are going to wire both bridges to blow but they will rely on you to keep hostiles off of them. You will have armoured support. Once they are finished all of you haul arse back to friendly lines so we can blow the bridge and stop the Tinnie attack before it starts. The RAF will be providing you with close air support so this shouldn't be too hard. Now men, this enemy is unlike any we have faced before. They seem to know what we are going to do before we even do it. Their weapons are unlike any we have ever seen too. When they fight you better hope you are ready because these fucks won't just charge you. They have been observed taking cover and using covering fire. They fight just like us, people. They are tough but they can be killed. These bastards aren't invincible and they know we know that. If we stop them here we can stop reacting to their moves and have them reacting to us for once. Now go to the armory and load up. Make sure you take plenty of grenades. You'll need them. May God be with you all."

The colonel saluted us smartly and nodded. They all stood and returned the gesture before walking out. Corporal Willis saw Lance Corporal David and ran to catch up with him.

"Are you ready?" Corporal Willis asked shouting a little over the roar of jets taking off and helicopters landing.

"I'm ready to kick some alien arse!" Lance Corporal David barked. Corporal Willis just shook his head.

"Now don't go Rambo on me. I want you to stow that bloody heroics shit because that shit is gonna get you killed. I can't afford to lose you, mate. You're me second in command. If you bite the dirt then imma have to let one of those kids lead Delta Fireteam and that is gonna get even more men killed. You got that?"

"Gotchya. No heroics." Lance Corporal David repeated and nodded his head. Corporal Willis patted him on the shoulder and disappeared in the crowd. The line that stretched from the airport terminal was long. The terminal was now where they kept scores of ammunition and gear. The munitions were displayed like lunch would be at a cafeteria. Corporal Willis got seven magazines for his L85A2 and three for his Browning Hi-Power. He only took three L109A1 HE Fragmentation Grenades. Lance Corporal David took eight magazines for his L85A2 and one spare magazine for his Browning Hi-Power. He only grabbed one L109A1. Rifleman Andrew grabbed ten magazines for his L85A2 and took four 40mm grenades. Deciding it was two heavy he put two magazines back. He clipped two L109s to his tactical vest and continued moving. Rifleman Anton inspected four boxes of ammunition for his L110A1 and one L901A1. Rifleman Kyle took seven magazines for his L129A1. He looked at the tray of grenades and decided against it. He was one of the two sections designated marksmen. He couldn't afford to be weighed down by the extra weight. Rifleman Eric took only five magazines for his L85A2 and four grenades for his 40mm grenade launcher. Rifleman Alex grabbed as many boxes of ammunition as he could effectively carry. He took five grenades and made sure he had two extra rockets for his MBT LAW. Rifleman Stanley figured they wouldn't be doing much shooting. He took only four magazines for his L129A1. The men headed outside and secured all of their gear on various combat netting and pockets. The section now looked like a force to be reckoned with. In civilian clothes they all looked like a bunch of lanky kids not even out of their twenties. In Osprey body armor and laden with weapons they looked like deadly killing machines. A line of Warrior IFVs were already had their back ramps down. The three man crews of the Warriors were stretching their limbs close to the vehicles. When they say the growing number of troopers they hopped in their vehicles and started up the engines. The roar of over a dozen Perkins V-8 Condor engines only momentarily overtook the sound of artillery fire. The men headed for the Warriors and immediately found something wrong. Each Warrior could only seat seven troops. Corporal Willis found the solution. The section leader would squat down in the middle of the troop compartment while the rest of the men sat in the seats. It wouldn't be comfortable but it would save the IFVs from having to make a second trip. Corporal Willis' Section crowded into the dank compartment of the Warrior and sat with the exception of Corporal Willis. The men watched with growing fear as the back ramp rose slowly blocking out the light from outside. Rifleman Anton felt an icy ball form in his stomach.

"I got a bad feeling about this, mate." Rifleman Eric said to Rifleman Anton as he nudged him with his elbow.

"Me too, man. I don't like where this might end up." Rifleman Anton replied. Rifleman Anton rubbed the small golden cross that hung around his neck. The IFVs lurched forward and headed towards their destinations. The Warriors they were in had just been shipped back from Afghanistan and had been partially disassembled. They put them back together completely with the minor exception of the air condition units. The air inside the Warrior was stale and smelled heavily of oil. It made the men dizzy. About halfway there the radios that every man carried crackled to life.

"This is Captain Steve Barrios. Men of the 2nd Rifles I believe now is the proper time for a prayer. I know I am one of the few Catholics in the unit but I ask you now to disregard your religious preference at the moment and bow your head in prayer with me." All of the men in the IFVs bowed their heads. Even the drivers did stealing occasionally peaks at the road. A few men made the sign of the cross as the prayer began. The crackle of the radio made the captain's voice seem slightly distorted yet firm.

"Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen." All of the men no matter what religion made the sign of the cross at the conclusion of the prayer. Many saw this like their last rights. There was no cheering, no more smack talk. There was only silence and the clank of weapons as men checked and re-checked them.


	3. Another Cock Up

War is not an adventure. It is a disease."-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

* * *

London, England

August 11th, 2011

Light streamed into the backs of the Warrior as the ramps lowered. The smell of gunpowder and the screams of the wounded greeted Corporal Willis as he stepped out of the Warrior. The IFVs had somehow gotten through the mass of people on the bridge and was droppings them off right next to Richmond Field. The rest of the section stumbled out shielding their eyes from the sun. As the men formed up a man jogged towards them waving his arm above his head.

"You unlucky buggers must be Second Rifles." the man said looking them over. His face was covered in soot and his uniform had numerous holes in it. Most of his left sleeve was burned off and he had a bandage wrapped tightly around his head like a turban.

"Bravo Company. We're full strength and ready to assist." Major Steve said with a nod.

"Leftenant Erin Cartwright at your service, sir." the man said as he snapped off a slopped salute.

"You're the highest ranking officer?" Major Steve asked as he returned the gesture.

"Well we did have a leftenant colonel with us when we were coming here but we got ambushed and he took a few rounds to the chest. That made me the commander of this hodgepodge group of men here. We have men from every unit in the British Army I'd like to say." Lieutenant Erin said as he scratched his bandage.

"We're here to reinforce you and assist in the movement of civilians." Major Steve said.

"Well we could use some reinforcin' but I'd suggest you don't mess with the civvies. They're moving around perfectly fine without us getting in the way. Just set your men up around the perimeter of the field. Just tell your men to give the helis enough room to get the last of the wounded out." Lieutenant Erin said.

Corporal Willis looked over the crude defensives. Nothing but sandbags stacked up to about chest height. While the bags might stop small caliber rounds they weren't enough of them to absorb the shock of a grenade or something along that sort. "Do you have anything we can beef up the defenses with?" Corporal Willis asked.

"What you see is what you get, mate." Lieutenant Erin said and shrugged. "Our perimeter is pretty thin. Ya' won't mind deploying your men, eh?"

"Not at all." Major Steve replied. He tapped his radio earpiece twice. "Second Rifles, perimeter defense! Do not fire unless fired upon! I don't need some bugger with an itchy trigger finger shootin' up civvies!_"_ The men fanned out and took their positions. They really didn't have much to do besides watch the steady stream of civilians go by. Chinooks constantly landed and took off behind them. They had medics on board the Chinooks so they needed no help loading the wounded. It didn't take long at all for all the people who were WIA to get airlifted out of there. Despite the semi-calm aurora all of the men were tense and were ever vigil.

Rifleman Andrew didn't give a rat's arse about the Chinooks at the moment. He was trying to scan each face in the fast moving crowd. Jennifer had to be safe. She was visiting family here last time he heard from her. Sure they'd been broken up a few months but right then and there that didn't matter to him. He had to find her. He saw all walks of life in the stream of refugees. Poor, middleclass, rich. They were all heading in the same direction. Most didn't even bat an eyelash at the soldiers but a few peeled off and tried to enter their perimeter. They were always turned away and told to keep heading west where it was safe. Rifleman Andrew spotted what he thought may have been Jennifer. It was hard to tell because the woman's face was almost covered in blood. He kept an eye on her as she got closer. He sighed with defeat when he realized it wasn't her. Instead of giving up he kept searching for a needle in a haystack so to say.

"That's an ace house, eh?" Rifleman Anton said as he let his L110A1 rest on the sandbag wall. He looked over at Rifleman Stanley and laughed quietly to himself. The kid had fallen asleep standing up. "Oi." Rifleman Anton said and nudged him with his elbow.

"Yeah. What." Rifleman Stanley gasp suddenly wide awake. He went to bring his L129A1 to his shoulder but the more senior Rifleman Anton stopped him.

"That's an ace house." Rifleman Anton repeated bucking his head to the house across the street from them. It was a nice two story bungalow that was painted a pearly white. A suitcase and a few articles of clothes were scattered on the well-kept front yard. The front door was open and in the doorway was a teddy bear leaning against the doorframe.

"Too true. Wouldn't be able to afford it with an enlisted salary though." Rifleman Stanley said frowning. Rifleman Anton did the calculations in his head and came up with the same outcome. He couldn't help but frown too.

"So what was it like fighting the Tinnies?" Rifleman Eric asked one of the soldiers who had come in contact with the aliens.

"Fight?" the soldier snorted. "They tore me unit to feckin' shreds. I think McGregor and I were the only ones left from Sixth Battalion." The whole time the soldier spoke he never stopped scanning the area in front of him. It made Rifleman Eric nervous.

"What unit were you in?" Rifleman Eric asked scanning the landscape in front of him too. Not much to see but row after row of houses.

"Fifty-Second Lowland Regiment." was the soldiers brief replied. That explained to Rifleman Eric why the man said fucking so funny. He was Scottish.

"About how many rounds it take to kill the bastards?" Rifleman Eric asked as he tapped the trigger guard.

The soldier looked at him from the corner of his eyes for a brief second. "Loads of feckin' questions, eh. I only slotted one of the sheep fuckers and it took damn near a whole magazine." Rifleman Eric gulped making his adam's apple bob up and down like in cartoons. WAH-64 Apaches flew overhead firing their rocket pods. Rifleman Eric could feel the resulting explosions vibrate his bones. The stream of people slowed to a trickle and then stopped completely. He clenched his jaw so tight you would have thought it was wired shut. He could feel it; not long now.

Corporal Willis wasn't sure who first spotted it but he knew it was bad news as soon as someone yelled something that every infantrymen fears. "GAS! GAS! GAS!"

Corporal Willis wasted no time taking his gasmask out of its carrying case and slipping it over his head. He took out the plug and took a breath of rubbery tasting air. He looked to his left and right making sure the rest of the men were doing the same. Thankfully none of them had freaked out at the call. He hated wearing gasmasks. They restricted his vision and fogged up way too much for his liking. However at the moment it seemed like his best chance for survival.

Back at the FOB a group of stern faced officers were gathered around the screen showing the video feed from one of the dozens of Global Hawk UAVs circling over London. This one in particular showed a milky white cloud rolling heading towards the men at Richmond Green. The cloud flowed like a wave swallowing everything it came in contact with. It rapidly came closer and closer to the entrenched men. The tension was so thick in the room you could have cut it with knife when the gas cloud washed over Richmond Green obstructing it from sight. The officers could only hope the gasmasks would save the men. If not than the Battle of London was lost.

Lance Corporal David was bored out of his wits. The gas had been an interesting twist but only for a few moments. By now he expected to be standing on a pile of Tinnie corpses waving the Union Jack above his head and taunting the aliens to bring it on. This was nowhere close though. Never in a million years did he picture himself just standing around waiting for the enemy to come to him. He heard the sound of Apaches flying overhead. He looked up and caught glimpses of the helicopters as they passed. He cast his gaze into the endless mist in front of him and tried to think about his wife. The thought didn't get far though. He brought his L85A2 up to his shoulder and looked through the ACOG sight. He swore he saw a shadow dart from one house to the other. Lance Corporal David would have put his life on it. When he saw it again he wasted no time emptying half of his magazine at the phantom figure. What followed was a soul crushing silence. Everyone on the line tensed up in anticipation. What they were anticipating not many knew.

"Who the bloody 'ell fired!" Lieutenant Erin demanded over the radio.

"Sir, I had a hostile contact." Lance Corporal David reported still scanning the area. He didn't stop scanning until he heard footsteps coming up behind him.

"The fuck you think you doing?" the gas mask clad soldier growled. Lance Corporal David quickly glanced at the soldier's name tag above his heart and saw it was Corporal Willis.

"I saw a Tinnie." Lance Corporal David responded pointing to where he saw the shadow. Corporal Willis looked over Lance Corporal David at the appointed area.

"I don't see a fucking thi-" Corporal Willis' words were cut short by a flurry of bullets. Before his body could resist Corporal Willis threw himself against the sandbags just as a lance of fire pierced the air where he was a second before.

Lance Corporal David was slower to respond but he too pressed himself against the sandbags. A soldier next to him was even slower to respond and had his head blown off in the process. Lance Corporal David stared in horror as the corpse collapsed like some whacked him in the knees with a sledgehammer. What had once been the soldier's head resembled a smashed grapefruit. He kept blinking and hoped that every time he opened his eyes again the body would hopefully disappear.

"Come to papa!" Rifleman Alex screamed at the top of his lungs as he fired his LMG in long bursts throwing the concept of burst fire out the window. Of course his voice was muffled because of the gasmask but he didn't care. The more he yelled the better he felt. He couldn't what he was shooting at so instead he aimed wherever a muzzle flash pierced the cloud. He ducked down as rounds slapped into the sandbags and etched their way up until they ate up the space where he was standing a few moments before. As soon as the coast was clear he stood back up and fired at the ever increasing number of muzzle flashes.

"Grenade out!" someone yelled. He didn't see who or where the grenade landed but he did hear the muffled explosion. He ducked down behind the sandbags just as another flurry of enemy fire ate up his position. Even though the sandbags were about two feet thick he felt the impact of every round that hit it. Static in his radio earpiece burst to life as officers tried to their bests to coordinate accurate return fire. He swept his L110A1 in wide arcs hoping he hit something or at least suppressed whatever was chewing his section to bits.

Rifleman Kyle felt like he was suffocating under the rubber/charcoal mask. He had to put extra effort into breathing and it was taking a toll on him. Sweat beaded and dripped down his forehead pooling under his chin where the gas mask stopped. He wiped the mist from the gas mask lens and took several more laboured breaths.

He stood upright and immediately put his eye to the 5x scope. He couldn't aim anywhere near as well as he could without the unwieldy gas mask on but he would have to make due. If he didn't he would die but more importantly his friends in the unit would. He picked out one of many muzzle flashes and fired two quick rounds and moved onto the next target. Normally two 7.62mm rounds would be enough to put a man down but he had to remind himself that he wasn't facing normal human beings. Rifleman Kyle had to stop shooting, duck down below cover, and wipe the mist from the lens again. An explosion a few meters in front of the sandbags bombarded him with chunks of concrete. Despite the muffling effect of the gasmask he could still hear Rifleman Kyle yelling words that would earn him a smack behind the ear by his mother if he ever said such things. A smile crept across his sweaty face at the thought of his buddy whooping and hollering like a wild man.

The smile was immediately swept off his face when the soldier next to him stood up to shoot but took two rounds in the chest. Rifleman Kyle was immediately at the man's side trying his best to help. He winced when he saw first-hand what the Tinnie rounds could do to flesh. The two gaping holes in the man's chest gushed blood covering up the burn marks around the entrence wound. He would have thought that incendiary rounds would have cauterized the wounds but the miniature fountains erupting from the man's chest told him otherwise.

"Hold on, mate." Rifleman Kyle said calmly and a little louder than he needed to be as he put pressure on the bigger of the two wounds. When he put pressure on the wound a geyser of instantly erupted from the second one. The soldier let out a howl of pain and reached up to bat Rifleman Kyle's hands away. "Stay still!"

The man's hands shot up to his mask and tore it off before Rifleman Kyle could do anything about it. He sucked in a lungful of contaminated air and immediately started coughing. Thick yellow foam poured out of his mouth and his eyes seemed to bulge out of his skull. A spider web of black veins etched his neck and face making his skin look like a roadmap of a densely populated area. He jerked spasmodically and tried to yell spotting Rifleman Kyle's lenses with the vile foam. Then just like it started the soldier went limp.

"Son of a bitch." Rifleman Kyle murmured as he picked his rifle back up and returned to the firing line.

The cross was freezing cold against Rifleman Anton's chest. Normally he would have moved it to the outside of his shirt but the cold let him know he was alive. Which is more that could be said for several others around him.

"Die mother fucker die." Rifleman Anton whispered to himself as he fired a measured burst at a muzzle blast. "Die motherfucker die." Not many things fazed him. Unlike most of the men in the squad with the notable exception of Corporal David he'd seen service in Afghanistan. "Die mother fucker die." This was nothing like that though. In A-Stan, as the men who served there called it, you rarely saw your enemy but at least you knew they were human. Sure they fought like scared bitched but at least the Taliban was made up of human fighters. Now…Rifleman Anton didn't even know where to begin. "Die motherfucker die."

The thing that frustrated him most was at the moment he couldn't even see what he was shooting at. He just aimed where he saw a muzzle blast and squeezed the trigger. He didn't even know if he was hurting or even hitting what he was shooting at. He took a quick glance at the mangled bodies around him. Hopefully the Tinnies didn't know how bad they were hurting them.

"This is some bullshit!" Rifleman Stanley yelled over the fire as he slapped another magazine into his rifle. He reached a hand up to itch his neck. "They gas us and shoot us to pieces and we can't do anything about it! Sod all mate!"

"Sod all is right!" Rifleman Anton replied as he fired a neat five round burst towards a muzzle blast. The muzzle blast didn't reappear so he figured he killed whatever he shot out. Rifleman Stanley stood up and started firing again.

Rifleman Anton heard the roar of jet engines coming from behind. His well-trained ears were able to identify the distinctive rumble of Tornado GR4 Strike Fighters above the racket of combat. Those planes had saved his arse too many times to count in A-Stan so the roar was a welcome sound.

"Incoming napalm! Take cover!" one of the officers shouted over the radio. Rifleman Anton took cover behind the sandbags but a wave of heat washed over him. Even though he wore a gas mask he could smell the gasoline like smell of the napalm. He loved that smell.

Corporal Willis was the first one to stand up. He had his rifle ready of course. The houses that once stood across the street were all ablaze. The fire sucked in oxygen and the Tinnie gas clearing the air in a matter of minutes. He looked up and saw the Tornados circling above to see what effect they'd had on the battle. No more Tinnies remained; whether they were burning in the growing fires or retreated Corporal Willis didn't know. He preferred the former of the two options naturally.

Slowly he peeled the gas mask off his face. He took a tiny breath and waited for his lungs to burst in flames. When they didn't he took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. All along the line men tore off their gas masks and sucked in fresh air.

His radio crackled to life and Lieutenant Erin came on the line. "Okay mates bully job. We really kicked some arse." Corporal Willis looked around and frowned. A good number of men lay sprawled in unnatural positions. Some arse kicking. "We're picking up the wounded and heading towards the bridges. Single column. Wounded in the middle. Second Rifles take up the rear guard." The men filed out of the field and rallied on the road that led to Richmond Bridge. The men who had been at Richmond Green before the arrival of 2nd Rifles made up the front of the column, the walking wounded and men carrying stretchers filled in the middle, and the now bloodied men of 2nd Rifles made up the end of the column. They left the dead behind simply because they didn't have the men to carry them back.

"Sign off. Who's not dead?" Corporal Willis asked as the column of soldiers started moving. He was too tired to see for himself which members of his section had bit the dirt. Now that the combat adrenaline had worn off he felt like someone had beaten him with a cricket bat.

"David, here."

"Andrew, here."

"Anton, here."

"Kyle, here."

"Stanley, I'm fucked up but I'm not dead."

"Alex, here."

"Eric is alive and well."

Corporal Willis checked the names off mentally in his head. No one had died in his section. That honestly surprised him. He'd expected one causality. Up ahead was the bridge. If the Tinnies didn't decide to spoil his day than the engineers could wire up both bridges in about twenty minutes and their part in the battle would be over for a while. He could basically feel taste the shit food the Army chefs would be serving back at Heathrow.

"Tinnies up front! It's an ambush!" someone shrieked over the radio. Corporal Willis felt like shitting his pants when the words finally registered in his mind. Somehow the Tinnies had gotten behind them and the all-seeing buggers at HQ had failed to notice. Well it wasn't the first cock up the higher ups had made and it certainly wasn't going to be the last.

* * *

**I'm sorry about the rather shoddy quality of this chapter. I had to rewrite this one from scratch and I know it sucks. The rest will be much, much, better with a lot more action.**


	4. Three More Angels

"In modern war... you will die like a dog for no good reason."-Ernest Hemingway

* * *

London, England

August 11th, 2011

Rifleman Eric and Rifleman Stanley were pinned down smack dab in the middle of the street. Well they weren't the worst off. They had amble cover behind an overturned lorry. Rifleman Eric peaked over the cab and jerked his head back down as a flurry of rounds cracked by.

"The piss we gonna do?" Rifleman Eric asked as he checked his 40mm grenade launcher. He stood up and fired the grenade. The low thump couldn't be heard over all the shooting and screaming. Rifleman Stanley peeked around the truck and looked down his ACOG scope. What he saw truly frightened him. Whatever he was looking at was no shorter than two meters. It hid behind a small wall on the side of the ramp that ran up to the bridge. Its head looked like an American football except larger and had a large cheese grater looking eye. The most interesting thing was its skin. It wasn't all metal like they thought. He noticed that it was more of an organic skin with a metal exoskeleton covering the arms, legs, and bits of the chest. Rifleman Stanley seemed frozen to the spot when he noticed that the Tinnie was looking right at him. It was its skeletal like arm brandishing a six barreled weapon. Rifleman Stanley pulled back just in time to see several lances of fire zip past.

"What the fuck are those!" Rifleman Stanley screamed over the gunfire. Rifleman Eric shrugged and leaned around the bare engine block of the truck to shoot.

Lance Corporal David sat huddled in the Tide Tables Café. He had dropped his rifle when the ambush sprung itself upon them. He wiped his sweaty hands on his fatigue pants and grabbed his Browning Hi-Power out of its holster. He looked among the men strewn about the street for any familiar faces. After a few seconds he just gave up. A hunched figure came running towards him from across the street. He raised his pistol and squeezed the grip. He lowered it once he recognized the face of Corporal Willis.

"You hit?" Corporal Willis asked as he knelt down next to Lance Corporal David. He patted himself down and weakly shook his head.

"Where is your section?" was the next question.

"I..I…I don't know." Lance Corporal David stuttered. Corporal Willis shook his head and slapped a new magazine into his rifle.

"I'm taking your section and flanking the enemy. You just stay here." Corporal Willis ordered. Lance Corporal David nodded happy with his order.

Rifleman Andrew stood across the street from the Tides Table Café in a clearing of trees. He and Rifleman Anton were acting as point men for the section. They moved in a double staggered column. Behind them was Rifleman Alex and Corporal Willis in the second row, Rifleman Kyle and Rifleman Eric in the third row, and Rifleman Stanley finished up the column watching the rear. They moved quickly stopping every few seconds to stop and listen for sounds of enemy movement. The only thing they heard was the same thing they've been hearing since they got there; shooting and explosions. The men kept silent and kept their heads on constant vigils. They would not get ambushed again. After getting through about a fifty meters of woods they were met with sands under their boots. Corporal Willis now took point leading the men along the edge of the woods towards the bridge. The men were hunched low and stepped carefully. They had little idea how many Tinnies were on the bridge but they did have the element of surprise. They entered another patch of foliage right next to the bridge. Corporal Willis looked at all the men and nodded in approval. They each took one grenade off their tactical vests and pulled the pins. Corporal Willis did his too and took a deep breath. The grenade arced through the air followed by six more grenades filled with RDX explosive. Rifleman Anton fired a short burst into the air and joined the others as they lunged over the railing and ran to the other side of the bridge. They threw more grenades as a flurry of fire decimated nothing on the other side. Several explosions tore across the bridge silencing all fire. Corporal Willis led the men back around the woods and onto Bridge Street. Most of the wounded that were lying in the middle of the street were now dead. Severed limbs were scattered about like Halloween decorations. The men who could stand stood hunched over with weapons at the ready. Some collected the dog tags from their fallen comrades.

"Leftenant Erin!" Corporal Willis called. Lieutenant Erin looked up from pulling the tags off a body and nodded. He picked up his rifle and jogged to Corporal Willis.

"Bloody ace job taking out those Tinnies. Thought we were screwed for a second." Lieutenant Erin said wiping the blood on his hands on his fatigue pants.

"How many casualties do we have?" Corporal Willis asked. Lieutenant Erin looked over his shoulder at the bodies in the street and shook his head.

"Twenty-two dead, double that wounded. No bloody way we are getting all those across the bridge before more Tinnies hop on our arses. Speaking of the bridge where the piss are those engineers that are supposed to be blowing these things to Kingdom come?" Lieutenant Erin said looking around.

"Leftenant, HQ is on the net wondering why we aren't back yet?" a young Rifleman wearing a radio pack said handing the receiver to Lieutenant Erin. He snatched it and started screaming.

"Exactly what the fuck is going on! There were supposed to be engineers on the bridges but all we found were fucking Tinnies! You have ninety-nine and a half million UAVs in the air and you can't warn us that there are Tinnies waiting for us around the fucking corner!" Whoever was on the other end mumbled a reply they couldn't here. Lieutenant Erin took a deep breath before continuing.

"Roger that. We need immediate helicopter extract. We have multiple wounded in critical condition. I don't know how long they can hold. I don't know how long we can hold either. If any Tinnies show up I don't think we can offer much resistance."

Rifleman Andrew was close enough to hear the reply. His grip tightened on his weapon as his brain filtered the information.

"Leftenant Erin we have a problem. At least a company of Tinnies are heading towards you. They want that bridge. Challenger Twos are on their way. The Fortieth Commando Battalion is gearing up to reinforce your position. Set up a casualty collection point at the foot of the western side of the bridge and defend it. We'll provide as much air cover as possible but don't expect much because they are making a major push near Campden Town. If we can get some bombers over there to drop that bridge in the water we will. Your standing orders are to hold the western side of the bridge. Godspeed." Lieutenant Erin swore and stomped his foot at the ground. He motioned for the men to gather around and waited until they did. He addressed the large group with a professional and stern tone.

"Okay, mates. We're almost through. Our orders are to hold our side of the bridge until they send some bombers to sink the bridges. We can expect a few Challenger Twos supporting us when they arrive and the Fortieth Commando won't be far behind them. Get all the wounded across the bridge and set up defensive positions. Half of Second Rifles will defend Richmond Bridge. I'll take the other half along with what is left of my unit and defend Twickenham Bridge. Who is the most senior officer in Second Rifles?"

They looked at each other comparing rank patches. Apparently Captain Barrios had bought farm during the ambush. Major Matthew Flemming stepped forward and said, "Guess I'm in command. The short, stocky man sported a well groomed mustache that would have put Lord Kitchener to shame. His bushy eyebrows were slightly singed at the ends and his helmet had a large chunk missing from it. His face, like many of the other soldiers, was covered in dirt and grime. Lieutenant Erin nodded and divided the remains of 2nd Rifles roughly in half. Corporal Willis' section was one of the fully intact ones to go with Lieutenant Erin. After a short jog they arrived at the bridge. The partial remains of sandbag barricades provided perfect cover but most of it was on the other side of the bridge. The men labored quickly in the August heat making more barricades and fall back positions.

"How many soldiers are in a company?" Rifleman Andrew asked Rifleman Kyle as they pushed the remains of a burnt out car in the middle of the bridge.

"Dunno for sure. Like one hundred men. Why?" Rifleman Kyle replied as they stacked extra sandbags in front of the car for better protection.

"So about fifty Tinnie are going to be coming towards us and fifty for the other bridge, eh?" Rifleman Andrew said as he checked his field of fire through the car's shattered windows.

Rifleman Kyle thought for a second and said, "Holy shit that is a lot of Tinnies." He looked around at the few men remaining from 2nd Rifles and Lieutenant Erin's mix matched unit. He roughly estimated they had a platoon of men working to turn the bridge into a killing field. Rifleman Kyle shook his head and got back to work.

Rifleman Alex took a swig from his canteen and passed it to Rifleman Stanley. He and Rifleman Stanley were on the only thing that overlooked the bridge from a decent height. Rifleman Stanley and Rifleman Alex lay prone on a train car on the Richmond Railway to the right of Twickenham Bridge. Rifleman Stanley was to pick off targets on the other bridge while Rifleman Alex kept the Tinnies off their own arses.

"How much ammo you got?" Rifleman Stanley asked counting his own magazines. Rifleman Alex made a quick count and frowned.

"Three boxes of ammunition including the one in me weapon, two rockets for me LAW, and four grenades. Not enough in my view."

"Better than nothing." commented Rifleman Stanley as he wiggled about trying to get comfortable.

"Too true, mate." Rifleman Kyle replied.

"Corporal Willis! Look what I found?" Rifleman Anton shouted as he and Lance Corporal David waved to Corporal Willis. He double timed to where they were standing in front of a partially collapsed apartment block to the right of the foot of the bridge.

"What is it?" Corporal Willis asked. Lance Corporal David and Rifleman Anton headed a bit deeper into the rubble with Corporal Willis close behind. When he saw what they had found he couldn't help but smile.

"Don't you just love the Yanks?" Lance Corporal David said smiling for the first time in a while. A Land Rover Wolf had smashed into the building totaling it completely. The driver still sat in the driver's seat with a bad head wound. The stink coming from the corpses was bad but they could deal with it due to the vehicles contents. It was an armed version of the vehicle sporting one M2 Browning Heavy Machine Gun, a L7A1 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun, and a MILAN ATGM complete with launcher.

"That Browning is gonna be useful. Anton, get some men in here to salvage all the ammo for these weapons. David, I want you to report to Lieutenant Erin and tell him about our finding. "Gotchya." Lance Corporal David said and ran off.

Corporal Willis watched as the men worked to dismount the weapons with wrenches and screw drivers. Once secure he consulted Lieutenant Erin about where to put them.

"We have a lot of ammo for the L7 so we can mount that on the train by my sharpshooter. One of your men will have to man it though. For the Browning we only have two hundred and fifty rounds for it so we have to use that carefully. I suggest we put that near the foot of the bridge so if we are pushed back that far we have something to hit them hard with. The MILAN can be set up in the middle of the bridge and given a clear view of fire so if the Tinnies bring up one of those walking tanks we can knock it out." Corporal Willis suggested sketching the plan on an etch-a-sketch they picked up.

"I think the MILAN should be deployed in the front so we can knock out any Tinnie armor that decides to come at us. Why let them take half the bridge before knockin' em out. I don't mind the L7 on the train. I'll send one of me men to man it. I like where you plan to put the Browning." Lieutenant Erin said making his own adjustments. Corporal Willis observed the map and pointed to the far side of the bridge.

"No, sir. Not as much cover on that side you see. Tinnies can easily take it out. I think my plan will work out better." Corporal Willis said. Lieutenant Erin nodded taking in the information.

"Mkay. We'll go with your plan. I'll get me man over on that train. You get some men to set up that MILAN. Make sure it has extra cover. Hurry up too. We don't have much time." Lieutenant Erin ordered. Corporal Willis saluted and got to work.

Lance Corporal David had regained most of his senses. He wasn't sure what made him zone out before but he couldn't let it happen again. They were spread out evenly on the bridge. The men were all hidden behind sandbags or burnt out cars and even large chunks of rubble. When the Tinnies came they were bound for a surprise. Lance Corporal David felt much more confident. He checked and rechecked his L85A2 and flicked the safety off. He now knew what he was fighting. He couldn't say he wasn't scared; if he did he would be lying to himself. The best way you could put it was he was now prepared mentally. He pulled back the charging handle to his rifle and peaked over the low wall of sandbags. Not much longer now.

Rifleman Stanley's eye was glued to his scope. He was keeping a close eye over the other side of the river waiting for any signs of movement. He blinked a bead of sweat from his eyes and continued scanning the other side of the ridge.

"I have to drain the weasel." Rifleman Alex said rolling off his belly. The soldier who Lieutenant Erin had sent over was a lance corporal named Jack Brun from the 3rd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment. He chuckled softly as Rifleman Alex rolled to the side of the train and pissed. Lance Corporal Jack didn't like being so exposed. He had mounted the L7 on a tripod to provide the most stable firing point. He had no loader so he had to do it all himself. In preparation for this he had several belts of ammo neatly coiled at the base of the tripod. He tapped his index finger on the trigger guard growing impatient. Whoever said waiting was the worst part of war was dead on.

"Enemy contact reported!" came the call over the radio. Everyone tensed up in unison. They were fighting the same enemy that had fallen from space only a few hours ago and gave them a good licking at Richmond Green. Rifleman Stanley saw figures running hunched over towards the bridge. He watched as a lance of Tinnies made their way up crisscrossing stairs on the other end of the bridge. He noticed a Tinnie that looked different from all the others. It was about a meter taller and the smaller Tinnies seemed to go wherever it pointed. It seemed to dance gracefully along the ground on its long thin legs. Rifleman Stanley put what had to be an officer Tinnie in his crosshairs. He immediately reconsidered and put a bit of a lead on the target. He took a deep breath and let half of it out. As the officer Tinnie marched up the final set of stairs, Rifleman Stanley gently pulled the trigger. There was a bang and a second later the officer Tinnies chest had a gaping hole in it. The other Tinnies looked stunned as their leader fell backwards into the dozen or so Tinnies. Rifleman Stanley didn't let up. Another group of twelve Tinnies marched cautiously onto the bridge. A quick check revealed no officers so he just went for the closest one. The Tinnie took a round in the head spinning around but getting back up soon after. The other Tinnies fired their weapons in random patterns not sure where the shot came from. The first line of defenders on the bridge stood up and fired a volley of short bursts. Three Tinnies immediately toppled over and one just exploded. The others were quick to take cover and return fire.

Rifleman Andrew ducked down below a large chunk of concrete as a flurry of enemy fire whipped past his head. He waited until the fire dulled before firming his grip on his rifle and standing up to fire again. He fired at a Tinnie taking cover in the stairwell of the bridge hitting nothing more than concrete. He fired a 40mm grenade into the alcove killing everything in it with a thump. He readied another grenade and sent one flying towards two Tinnies that slid to the cover of an ice cream truck. I struck the ice cream truck blowing it in two and sending the Tinnies sky high. They landed somewhere in the river two seconds later. The crack of Rifleman Stanley's rifle had a slightly comforting tone to it as the head of another Tinnie suddenly expanded and it crumpled to the ground.

Lance Corporal Jack traded tracers with a Tinnie on the other bridge. The Tinnie's rounds went far overhead while Lance Corporal Jack's rammed home. The Tinnie's chest sparked and it dropped like a sack of potatoes. He raked his machine gun over the bridge keeping the Tinnies pinned. He swore when his firing pin hit empty air. With the barrel smoking, Lance Corporal Jack began reloading his L7. He took his canteen and poured half the bottle over the steaming barrel. He put the canteen down next to his ammo and pulled back the bolt.

"Oi, Jack! We got Tinnies comin towards us!" Rifleman Alex shouted placing three rounds into a Tinnie's chest at the foot of the railway. Lance Corporal Jack swiveled the L7 towards the opposite end of the railway. There were about a dozen or two Tinnies heading towards them. There was something strange about them. They were just shy of two meters tall and seemed stockier. The new Tinnies had a weapon graphed onto their right hand but their left hands were free. They didn't move like regular Tinnies either. They skillfully weaved side to side with the grace of a ballerina. Lance Corporal Jack fired a prolonged burst just as the Tinnies let loose a barrage of fire. Lance Corporal Jack didn't notice he was screaming as bullets ricocheted all around him. He shook the gun side to side quickly throwing up a wall of lead. Two Tinnies got hit and fell into the river. Lance Corporal Jack felt a thump in the middle of his chest and the smell of burning flesh immediately filled his nose.

Rifleman Alex looked over his shoulder just in time to see Lance Corporal Jack slump backwards with a smoking hole in the middle of his chest.

"Stanley, cover me!" Rifleman Alex barked over the fire as he crab walked backwards to Lance Corporal Jack's limp body. He fired a burst over Rifleman Stanley's head striking one of the advancing Tinnies in the leg. He leaned over Lance Corporal Jack's body and listened for a heartbeat. Nothing. He swore and mounted the L7.

"Keep your head down!" Rifleman Alex yelled as he fired off a continuous stream of fire. It wasn't the most accurate but it produced the desired effect. The Tinnies tried to bob and weave their way around the fire but no amount of fancy moves could have saved them. They toppled over like dominoes as they got closer.

"What is that?" Rifleman Stanley asked. Rifleman Alex turned the L7 towards the other bridge and froze. One of those walking tanks were pointed right at them.

"Run!" Rifleman Alex screamed as he picked up his LMG and went to jump off the train. He was about to jump when he noticed Rifleman Stanley wasn't behind him. He looked back and saw the marksman struggling to untangle his tactical vest from a protruding piece of the train. Rifleman Alex repeated every curse word he had ever learned as he ran back to Rifleman Stanley.

"Come on! Come on!" Rifleman Stanley pleaded. Rifleman Alex pulled his combat knife out of his boot and started cutting off the straps. Rifleman Alex looked up just as the Tinnie tank let loose a salvo of 16 missiles. Knowing the end was near, he covered Rifleman Stanley's body with his own and screamed.

Rifleman Anton watched the missiles streak and slam into the train. The train was blown clear off the tracks and was thrown amongst the combatants on the other bridge. His immediate thoughts were of Stanley, Alex, and the other soldier.

"You sons-of-bitches!" Rifleman Anton screamed at the top of his lungs as he stood up and shot at the Walking Gun. Rounds pinged harmlessly off the Walking Gun but he did manage to drop a few of the Tinnies working to reload the thing. The Tinnie manning the gun kept its head down as more of its allies fell.

"Hit it with your LAW!" Corporal Willis shouted as he slid next to Rifleman Anton. Rifleman Anton nodded and unslung the rocket launcher. He lined his sights up on the Walking Gun and prepared to squeeze the trigger. The Walking Gun looked little more than a shiny box supported by four ant like legs. The only weapons it seemed to carry were 8 rocket tubes on each side.

"SOD OFF!" Rifleman Anton screamed as he jerked the trigger. The back blast threw up a wall of smoke behind them and a fountain of flame erupted from the front. The 66mm rocket hit the Walking Gun just as it completed its reloading cycle. The 66mm high explosive anti tank rocket ignited twelve of the sixteen rockets loaded into the Walking Gun. The Walking Gun and about six Tinnies disappeared in a raging fireball that shot up twenty feet into the air.

"Cease fire! Cease Fire!" Lieutenant Erin yelled running up and down the line. They all held their breaths waiting for the smoke to clear. A universal feeling of relief was felt all around when a light wind cleared the bridge and revealed nothing; nothing except for one Tinnie struggling to move with both its legs blown off. Lieutenant Erin's eyes grew wide with the thought of a prisoner.

"Someone go bring me that Tinnie!" Lieutenant Erin ordered pointing at it. Four men scrambled from cover and dragged the Tinnie back. Everyone crowded around the wounded Tinnie filled with curiosity.

"Fuckin ugly bugger." Rifleman Eric noted. He was right. It was one of the officer Tinnies. It had three legs but two of them were blown off. Its skin was light brown and reminded the men of wet canvas. It eye was just a slit with something constantly running back and forth along it.

"Kind of looks like ya mum." Rifleman Kyle replied with a sly grin. Rifleman Eric shot a look at Rifleman Kyle that could have froze the Sun before returning his gaze to the Tinnie.

"So this is what killed Alex." Rifleman Anton said spitting on the Tinnie.

"Is it alive?" Rifleman Andrew asked. As if in a response to the question the Tinnie jerked to life. Half a dozen men filled the Tinnie with enough lead to drop an elephant. What looked like water poured out of dozens of holes all among the Tinnies body. An explosion on the other bridge drew the men's attention.

"Get those men on the radio." Lieutenant Erin ordered slightly annoyed. After several minutes the rifleman with the bulky radio just shook his head.

"I ain't gettin nothin, sir." the rifleman said with a frown.

"Damn. I know they are still alive. You can still hear the shooting." Lieutenant Erin said as he turned to Corporal Willis. They all knew what was coming.

"Take your section and go check up on them. If everything is okay then radio in. If things are FUBAR then still radio in." He then turned to the radioman.

"Rifleman Justin, go with them. You're their connection with us. Don't die."

"Yes, sir." The pimply faced rifleman said. Corporal Willis ordered all the men to fall in a circle around him.

"Okay mates. The game plan is simple. We are goin over there and see if they are okay. If they are we can come back and watch em interrogate the Tinnie but if things are a bit sticky than we are stayin. Our prime goal is to protect Rifleman…"

"Rifleman Justin Dunks. Nicknames Too Tall." the radioman said with a shy grin.

"I see why." Rifleman Kyle said looking up at the two and a half meter tall kid. Corporal Willis shot him an icy glare.

"Our prime goal is to protect Rifleman Justin here. Without him if we do get blown to bits they'll send another section to get killed too. I prefer that not happen. Roger?"

"Roger." said Rifleman Anton.

"Roger." Rifleman Andrew.

"Roger." Lance Corporal David.

"Roger that." Rifleman Kyle.

"Roger." Rifleman Eric.

"Roger, Roger." Rifleman Justin.

"Okay, mates. Let's go check up on our boys. If there are any Tinnies we are going to blow them to Hell. For Alex and Stanley!" Corporal Willis said turning towards the other bridge.

"For Alex!" Rifleman Anton shouted pounding his chest.

"For Stanley! Rifleman Andrew barked nodding his head.

"For Jack!" Rifleman Justin shouted making a fist.

"Okay. Now let's move before the fight is over." Corporal Willis ordered. The men filed in behind in and they started jogging. It was true; they all wanted to get back in the fight before it ended.

A plume of flame shot up in the middle of the bridge signaling the fight was very much still going on.


	5. SNAFU

"I'm convinced that the infantry is the group in the army which gives more and gets less than anybody else."- Bill Mauldin

* * *

London, England

August 11th, 2011

Corporal Willis' heart was thumping in his chest as a stray burst from a Tinnie flew over their heads. It was nowhere close to hitting them yet it still put the fear of God into him. Major Flemming saw them approaching and motioned them to his position.

"Thank God you blokes are here. Our radioman got crushed by a fuckin train. Things are bloody FUBAR over here. The Tinnies have more than half the bridge and we are taking heavy casualties. The Challengers are supposed to be here in about twenty minutes with infantry not far behind. Can your men support me?" Major Flemming said once they all ran over.

"Roger that." Corporal Willis said turning towards the men. "Rifleman Anton, take your LMG and set up on the right side of the bridge by that tractor. Rifleman Andrew you accompany him. Rifleman Eric, Kyle, and Lance Corporal David I want you on the left side. I want intersecting fields of fire so intense the crabs from a flea couldn't get through it. Rifleman Justin, you and I are gonna stay with Major Flemming and keep in contact with the armoured support. Oi?" Corporal Willis said making a quick map on the concrete with a few rocks.

"Oi!" was the unified reply. Corporal Willis nodded dispersing the men. They darted from one piece of cover to the next praying they wouldn't get hit. They were careful to step over the numerous wounded as they made their way to the middle of the bridge. Rifleman Anton found the tractor with ease. There was just one problem. A Tinnie stood on the driver's seat pinning down men barely five feet away. He stopped, dropped to one knee, and pumped six rounds dead center in the Tinnie's chest. The invader fell backwards still firing its gun in the air.

"Good shot." Rifleman Andrew said as he darted past him. Rifleman Anton nodded and set up his L110 on the padded seat of the tractor. He had to crouch a little to get it to work but he could manage. Rifleman Andrew sat with his back against the exposed engine block leaning over from time to time to take shots at the advancing Tinnies. "Cover me." Rifleman Andrew said as he stood up and pulled the pin to a grenade.

Rifleman Anton temporary abandoned his burst fire method and put up a wall of suppressive fire. "You're covered!" Rifleman Anton yelled over the firing of his own weapon. Rifleman Andrew nodded in acknowledgment and let go of the spoon. He threw the grenade overhand and watched it arc through the air and land behind a group of five Tinnies taking cover behind a bright red double decker bus. It bounced twice before rolling to a stop right at the feet of the Tinnies. They scrambled from cover and directly into the crossfire of Corporal Willis' section and other soldiers from 2nd Rifles. They were mowed down like blades of grass but not without some return fire from other Tinnies. A stray round smacked into the engine block of the tractor spraying the still standing Rifleman Andrew in the face with a dark green liquid.

The first thought that ran through Lance Corporal David's mind was, shit Andrew's hit. When he saw Rifleman Andrew rubbing his eyes and Rifleman Anton squat down to help him flush his face with water from his canteen he let himself sigh in relief. A flash of fire that lanced past his head brought him back around. He brought his rifle up to his shoulder and put two rounds in a running Tinnie about fifty yards away. The Tinnie spun around and fell. It started to lift itself up when a grenade rolled right under it. The concussion threw the Tinnie ten feet in the air before it returned to the bridge in a mangled heap. He would have to buy whoever threw that grenade a pint or two at the pub when this was all over. If he lived through this however.

Rifleman Kyle had the barrel of his L129A1 poking through a broken car window. He leaned against a car behind him allowing him to be comfortable in a semi-sitting situation. The Tinnies were coming almost as fast as he could pull the trigger; key word almost. He had his sights on a particular Tinnie that he had fired half of a magazine at and hit nothing. The little bastard was cunning taking cover and waiting for him to move on to another target before moving again. He clipped the Tinnie's shoulder as it slid behind the tractor Rifleman Anton and Rifleman Andrew was behind. It fell backwards and didn't get up for a bit. He went to move his rifle to get a better shot of the Tinnie when the barrel got caught on the seatbelt. He yanked it a few times not getting any results. As the Tinnie peeked his head over the tractor's seat Rifleman Kyle yelled, "Marshal!" An explosion muffled the sound of his voice and distorted it beyond recognition.

"This shit burns!" Rifleman Andrew screamed wiping the last bit of coolant from his eyes. Suddenly his ears were ringing and bits of his friend were all over him. He blinked a few times staring at the bloodied pulp that was once Rifleman Anton Marshal. A Tinnie was standing on the seat aiming its graphed on weapon at him. He grabbed the alien's deadly extension and pulled it ground. The Tinnie was a lot heavier than he thought and took a lot of force to pull him off the seat. As the Tinnie lost its footing and fell, a round from Rifleman Kyle's rifle zipped through empty air that the Tinnie had occupied only a second ago. Rifleman Andrew tore his bayonet from its sheath and stabbed the Tinnie in the weirdly shaped head. It let out a high pitched wailed and pushed Rifleman Andrew off of him. He was launched fifteen feet in the air coming down hard behind a large piece of concrete.

"Cover me!" Lance Corporal David barked as he bolted forward towards the Tinnie. It was just getting up when he launched himself at the alien knocking it back down. Lance Corporal David's new rifle skidded a few feet coming at a rest under a car. "You son of a bitch!" he snarled as the Tinnie rolled over on top of him. He felt the squishy remains of his former section mate underneath him. It only fueled his rage. The Tinnie raised its graphed on weapon and went to bring it down on his head. Lance Corporal David jerked his head to the side not a moment too soon. The Tinnie left a dent in the concrete where Lance Corporal David's head was.

"Should I shoot?" Rifleman Kyle asked frantically. He had the Tinnie's head dead center in his sights.

"No! You saw how some of em explode!" Rifleman Eric barked firing a few bursts from his rifle. It seemed to be a never ending wave of Tinnies. He looked back at several other 2nd Rifle soldiers and yelled, "Cover us! Make sure no Tinnies sneak up on our arses!" He darted forward with Rifleman Kyle not two steps behind. He ducked his head holding on to his helmet with one hand and keeping a firm grasp with his rifle as he heard rounds crack past his head. Corporal Willis had taught him a trick during one live fire exercise in the Scottish Highlands. If he heard a crack than take cover because a bullet just zipped past you but if you heard a whizz then still take cover because the enemy is shooting in your general direction. At the moment it sounded like Rifleman Eric and Rifleman Kyle was in a microwave while someone popped popcorn. Rifleman Eric heard a wet thump and a scream right out of a horror movie. He didn't stop running but he looked over his shoulder. Rifleman Kyle was on his side clutching a steaming pile of intestines in his hands and screaming.

"Help!" he screamed. "Help!" His voice got more high pitched and ten times as desperate. "HELP!"

Rifleman Eric let his L85A2 hang limp on its sling and slammed into the Tinnie with his right shoulder driving the alien clear off of Lance Corporal David smashing its head into the side of the bridge. Lance Corporal David was up on his feet almost immediately with his Browning Hi-Power cocked and aimed. Rifleman Eric had his rifle aimed at the alien. The Tinnie flipped over on its back and stared up at the two men. It made no attempt to raise its weapon; it just looked back and forth at the species it had been sent to wipe out.

"The piss do we do?" Lance Corporal David asked panting heavily.

"I don't know." Rifleman Eric murmured.

Then the wails of a dear friend lifted above the chaos of combat.

"I don't wanna go, mum! I have to stay here! I can't leave these guys!"

Rifleman Eric didn't wait for orders. He kicked the bayonet in the Tinnie's head driving it deeper and pinning it to the ground. The Tinnie began to twitch violently and make high pitched squeals. They both emptied what was ever left in their magazines into the alien silencing it for good. As they loaded magazines into their respective weapons, they heard a strange noise. It wasn't any noise they were familiar with. The closest thing they could place it to was the buzzing of bees. To make it worse it was coming from above them. They both looked up at the same time.

"What…the…fuck…are…those?" Rifleman Eric stammered.

"I have no bloody idea." Lance Corporal David replied as multiple shadows passed over them.


	6. No Rest For the Brave

"Rest is as valuable to a soldier as food and ammunition. No army can go for any prolonged period of time without some sleep."- Anonymous

* * *

London, England

August 11th, 2011

The FV4034 Challenger II rolled over a car crushing it like a tin can. It didn't do it in slow, jerky movements like he'd seen in the video games he grew up playing. The sixty something ton tank flattened the German made Volkswagen like a tin can in one fluid motion. The mean faced tank commander stood in the commander's cupola using his L37A2 Machine Gun to steady himself. The tank ground to a halt making the convoy of eleven other tanks stop. The mean face tank commander looked down at Corporal Davis, Rifleman Justin, and Major Flemming huddled together and shook his head.

"Sergeant Hank Manson; First Armoured Division, Seventh Armoured Brigade. The Desert Rats at your service." the tank commander said hopping off the turret.

"I thought the First Armoured was stationed in Germany." Major Flemming said.

"Our brigade was on leave. Then these bloody Tinnies decided to pop up. Don't believe me check out me patch." Sergeant Hank said showing off her shoulder patch. Just like he said the patch had a black background and a brown rat on it.

"Wait you're just a sergeant?" Corporal Willis inquired.

"Oi. Why?" Sergeant Hank asked. Corporal Willis did a quick count of the tanks tailing Sergeant Hank's and came up with a total of twelve tanks.

"So you're a sergeant and you command three companies?" Corporal Willis asked.

"We just came from the Northern Defensive Line. Tinnies are hitting us hard up there. We're just here to pull you buggers out of the mud and go back. The Fortieth Commando Brigade just landed at Heathrow and are coming here via heli."

"We're not getting pulled off the line?" Rifleman Justin asked with a hint of despair in his voice.

"Are the Tinnies kicking our arses?" Sergeant Hank asked in a voice that sounded more like a mother telling her child that he was doing something wrong instead of an experienced tanker.

"I…I don't know." Rifleman Justin replied.

"Well we are getting our arses kicked. I lost six tanks and almost all of my infantry. So yes the Tinnies are kicking our arses and no none of us are getting pulled off the line." Sergeant Hank spat. Rifleman Justin looked like he wanted to just curl up in a corner but instead he just took a step back. An uncomfortable silence followed before Major Flemming broke it.

"How long are you blokes going to be supporting us?"

"Until the cavalry arrives I guess. Or until the RAF comes to sink the bridge." Sergeant Hank said as he scrapped something off the bottom of his boot onto the tank tread.

"Wait the RAF is coming?" Corporal Willis asked surprised.

"Yeah. Passed up a few of their Tornados when we passed through Heathrow to rearm. They ain't much use right now cuz they don't have any bombs to drop. They're flying em in though." Sergeant Hank said sounding bored. "What I'm wondering is why didn't you guys blow the bridge up. Don't ya'll have any explosives?"

"Not enough to make the bridges come down. But never mind that. How long until those bombers come over us?" Major Flemming asked.

"Piss if I know. Go ask a pilot." Sergeant Hank replied rather harshly.

"Well if you did not notice, sergeant, we are short of qualified pilots right now." Major Flemming retorted putting emphasis on the younger man's rank to show he was in command.

"Sorry if I'm a bit agitated but I watched those Tinnie fucks wipe out an entire platoon of infantry and there wasn't bullocks I could do!" Sergeant Hank yelled. Major Flemming drew himself up to his full height and stood a hair's length from Sergeant Hank. Major Flemming was two feet shorter than the tanker but he had a good thirty pounds on the younger man.

"You two stop it! The bloody hell is wrong with you? We're being wiped out by aliens from God knows where and you two are fighting each other? What kind of sod all shit is this?" Corporal Willis said stepping in between the two men.

"I lost over half of my unit!"

"I don't give a shit. We took losses too. Everyone has taken losses. This is a war. People are going to die. It happens." Corporal Willis said trying to put it as nicely as possible. Sergeant Hank opened his mouth to say something but a loud buzzing sound filled the air. All of the men looked up at the sky and saw something they could have never expected. Rifleman Justin stepped back and tripped over a severed arm. When the radio on his back hit the ground it started jumping to random channels.

"All Tinnies in our sector are dead. We're good people. Wait…what in the world are those?

"Oh my God they're everywhere!"

"More Tinnies are landing! We're being overrun! Hel-"

"This is Typhoon Six-Two Callsign Raptor! My wingman just got blown out the sky! What's happening?"

"Fast movers inbound! Take cover! Ahhhhh!"

"Tell all the helicopters to turn back! The HMS Ocean just got sunk by Tinnie aircraft!"

"Sir, I don't know what to call them! Aircraft, planes, spaceships? I don't know! All I know is they are EVERYWHERE!"

"Get the men to pull off the bridge. We're leaving." Major Flemming said.

"We can't leave." Corporal Willis protested.

"Why?" Rifleman Justin asked.

"The Tinnies can't cross this bridge." Corporal Willis replied.

"I'm not dying for no bridge." Rifleman Justin said.

"Is it worth the risk?" Major Flemming asked. Corporal Willis just nodded and put another magazine into his rifle.

"Make sure the men are well dug in. Anything that can sink a helicopter carrier has some big guns. Get those tanks deployed alongside the river and tell their commanders to be ready on those machine guns. I don't think cannon can take out whatever they have." Corporal Willis said in the same calm voice as he always had. That is why the men loved him. He was calm no matter the situation.

"I'm going to take half of me tanks and reinforce the other bridge. We'll be splitting up or firepower but it'll help make sure we don't get surrounded." Sergeant Hank said as he climbed up the hull of his Challenger 2.

"Good plan. God speed." Corporal Willis said. Once Sergeant Hank was in his cupola he put on his tanker's helmet and looked at the three men. They all had that tired and worn look in their eyes. They looked like they were about to collapse at any moment. Major Flemming saluted smartly and barked, "For Queen and Country!" Sergeant Hank saluted too and said the same. With that his tank lurched forward closely tailed by five other tanks. Corporal Willis looked at Major Flemming and cocked his head towards the bridge.

"You better be right about this." Major Flemming said before jogging off to alert the men.


	7. Charge of the Second Rifles

"If we lose the war in the air, we lose the war and lose it quickly." — Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery

* * *

London, England

August 11th, 2011

"You ever wonder what's up there?" Jennifer asked. Her Cockney accent that she so desperately tried to hide was really coming through right now. Rifleman Andrew loved it but for some reason Jennifer hated the way it sounded. They were back in the field near Hexham. Jennifer was lying next to him with her head on his chest. He opened his mouth to say something but no words would come out.

"Like someone up there wondering what it's like down here." Jennifer said. Her Cockney was really coming on thick now. Rifleman Andrew opened his mouth and tried to speak but again no words came out. It was like he was having a one sided conversation.

"I sure hope we do." Jennifer said with a smile. Her Cockney was the strongest he'd ever heard it. He tried to scream but he couldn't make a sound.

"Andrew!" Jennifer screamed. Her voice was full of panic. Rifleman Andrew began to panic. Jennifer had only cried his name out once like that. It was when they were broken up for a few months. He saw her at a party and they started talking. Her pissed up boyfriend saw and was about to hit her. She called his name out just like that. The boy's fist never touched Jennifer. He ended up being thrown out a window.

"Andrew, please get up!" Jennifer cried. Andrew wanted to scream at the top of his lungs but he just couldn't.

"Please are you okay? Answer me, Andrew!" Andrew wanted to cry. He hated hearing Jennifer sounding like this. He wished he could just tell her that everything was going to be okay.

The scenery around them changed. The moon morphed into a glowing ball of fire and the fields around them burst into flames. The stars in the sky were now replaced by flaming objects hurtling towards the ground. He looked over at Jennifer to find some form of safety in this hellish landscape. What he saw frightened him. The all beautiful Jennifer was now a burnt skeleton.

"ANDREW…WAKE…UP!"

Rifleman Andrew Webster's eyes snapped open. The first thing he saw was the blacked face of Corporal Willis. The section leader's eyes darted about looking for targets. Something darted past his field of vision in the sky. It went by so quickly he couldn't tell what it was. The ground vibrated as something exploded. He tasted a salty metallic fluid in his mouth and he felt it running down the corners of his lips.

"Bloody hell you're alive. Get up!" Corporal Willis shouted over the gunfire. He held out his hand and Rifleman Andrew took it. With a quick jerk Rifleman Andrew was on his knees next to Corporal Willis.

"Grenade out!" someone yelled. Rifleman Andrew didn't see who threw the grenade but he did see it drop a group of Tinnies running right them. Corporal Willis reloaded his rifle and looked at Rifleman Andrew.

"You good to go?" Corporal Willis asked.

"Ye-" was all that was able to come out of Rifleman Andrew's mouth before Corporal Willis threw him to the ground. He fired off two quick burst taking out a Tinnie crawling up the railing of the bridge.

"Let's go!" Corporal Willis barked as he jerked Rifleman Andrew up by the collar. They ran hunched over towards a hastily built barricade manned by a few soldiers. Rifleman Andrew jumped when one of the three surviving Challengers fired its main gun into one of the Walking Guns at the far side of the bridge. The explosion was spectacular and rattled Rifleman Andrew's brain inside his head.

"When did we get tanks?" Rifleman Andrew asked.

"Why are those wounded still here? Come on get it moving!" Corporal Willis yelled completely ignoring Rifleman Andrew's question. He had more important things to worry about.

"Oh God! Oh God!" the younger man screamed. "Don't let me die! Please. I'll do anything!"

"Calm the fuck down!" Rifleman Eric yelled trying to calm the young soldier down. He remembered his face but not the name. He did a quick check on his dog tags; Rifleman Steven Jeffery. He looked at the gaping wound in Rifleman Steven's belly and almost vomited. A loose knot of intestines hung out. It looked like uncooked black pudding he ate as a child. He'd stumbled across Rifleman Steven trying to push his own intestines back in and he decided to try to help. "You're going to be fine." Rifleman Eric lied.

"I can't feel anything. What's going on? Is it bad?" Rifleman Steven said in quick succession.

"Stop talking." Rifleman Eric said curtly. He'd have to find a way to stop the bleeding. If he didn't Steven would bleed out fast.

"Incoming fast movers!" someone yelled. Rifleman Eric instantly threw his body over Rifleman Steven's to try to provide some form of cover. He heard the uncanny buzzing and felt the heat wave from several explosions. When the buzzing faded away he looked around to see if any Tinnies were near. None. Good.

"You okay, kid?" Rifleman Eric asked. No answer. "Kid?"

Rifleman Eric looked down at Rifleman Steven and saw his own reflection in Rifleman Steven's lifeless eyes. Rifleman Eric just shook his head and moved on to the next wounded soldier.

"Take this." Lance Corporal David said as he shoved a L85A2 into Rifleman Andrew's arms.

"Thanks." Rifleman Andrew said. He looked at the rifle for a moment like he didn't know how to use it. Much like a child examined a brand new toy.

"Another wave of Tinnies incoming. Get ready people." Corporal Willis said.

"You okay, son?" Lance Corporal Willis asked Rifleman Andrew as they kneeled behind a line of sandbags.

"Yeah." Rifleman Andrew replied.

"Okay. Keep it up, mate. We're winning."

"Are we?" Rifleman Andrew said solemnly.

Lance Corporal David looked over at Rifleman Andrew and was about to say something when a flurry of Tinnie bullets zoomed over his head. Lance Corporal David looked down his ACOG scope and got a Tinnie in his sights. He squeezed off a quick three round burst. Two rounds hit the Tinnie in the chest while the last hit it in the head. The Tinnie stumbled forward before tripping over the body of another dead Tinnies. It didn't get back up. He then sighted a Tinnie who was jumping from car to car. He fired two bursts at the acrobatic Tinnie. The first missed its intended target but caught another Tinnie knocking that one off the bridge. The second burst caught the Tinnie in the groin area immobilizing it.

"More Tinnie fast movers inbound!" someone barked. Lance Corporal David got low to the ground and hoped and prayed he wouldn't get hit. He'd made it too far to die.

"Fuck!" Corporal Willis exclaimed as the last Challenger burst into a spectacular array of flames. The sixty something ton tank was thrown on its side like a toy lorry. He was now in the upstairs room of a café overlooking the bridge with Rifleman Justin and Major Flemming.

"We got bad news people." Rifleman Justin said.

"What now?" Corporal Willis asked with a deep frown.

"Fortieth Commando ain't coming. Their helis were taken down a few klicks from here." Rifleman Justin said after taking a deep breath.

"Well we're buggered now." Corporal Willis said as he looked down at his boots.

"Contact whoever is left on the other bridge. We're falling back. Forget this bridge." Major Flemming said.

"You sure, sir?" Rifleman Justin asked hesitating.

"That's an order soldier." Major Flemming confirmed. Rifleman Justin looked at Corporal Willis.

"He's in command. Give the order." Corporal Willis said. Rifleman Justin nodded and lifted the receiver to his ear. He almost threw it down when a loud, wailing, screeching sound came through the other end. It was like someone dragging their nails across a chalkboard.

"What the piss?" Major Flemming yelled as he covered his ears.

"I don't bloody know!" Rifleman Justin replied.

"Turn it off!" Corporal Willis barked. Just as he did one of the Tinnie spaceships hovered in front of one of the café's windows. Rifleman Justin realized the Tinnie spaceship looked like a mechanical wedge of pie.

"Get down!" Corporal Willis screamed. A split second later the Tinnie ship fired its two main weapons. Great bolts of energy tore through the room putting holes in walls and destroying anything in its way. Rifleman Justin threw himself on the ground and found himself laying on top of Corporal Willis. Corporal Willis just lay there gritting his teeth. Major Flemming took too long to hit the deck. A single bolt of white energy hit him square in the chest. A millisecond later he was splattered all over the café room. The only trace of him left was the blood and ribbons of meat that littered the room.

"Take that thing down! Take that thing down!" Rifleman Kyle yelled as he fired at the Tinnie ship with his L129 to no effect. One soldier shouldered a LAW and prepared to fire. Before he could a round took his head clean off. Rifleman Kyle pivoted on his heel and took the Tinnie down with two well-placed shots. He ran over to the dead soldier and moved the dead husk off the LAW. He picked it up and brushed the blood and bits of meat off of it and aimed at the Tinnie ship that was still firing into the café. The solid thump in his shoulder told him the rocket had cleared the tube. The muffled boom told him the rocket hit something. He tossed the now useless tube over his shoulder and watched as the Tinnie ship went side to side in a drunken fashion. A secondary explosion blew the Tinnie ship in half sending one part of it flying into a building and another coming right at him.

"Shit!" Rifleman Kyle screamed as he ran towards the bridge. He had two options. Either stand still and be crushed or run towards the Tinnies and get shot. He figured either way he would die. Better to go out like a hero.

"He has the idea!" Lance Corporal David yelled when he saw Rifleman Kyle run past him screaming like a banshee. He withdrew his bayonet from its sheath and secured it over the barrel.

"Men!" Lance Corporal David barked.

"Sir!" the fifteen or so surviving men replied.

"Fix…SWORDS!" Lance Corporal David shouted. He used that order because in the Rifle Regiments of the British Army, the term was used when their flintlock rifles carried sword bayonets and it survived until today. The sound of bayonets unsheathing almost overwhelmed the sound of the incoming Tinnie fire.

"It's been an honour to fight with you all, mates! Second Rifles…Charge!" Lance Corporal David yelled. He hopped over cover and screamed as loud as his lungs allowed him to. He was joined by the remains of 2nd Rifles. If they were going to die, they were not going to just sit there and let the enemy pick them off. They were going right up the enemies' arses.

The fifty or so Tinnies hesitated to fire as the small contingent of men rushed towards them. They knew the humans were stupid; but not stupid enough to openly charge them. The Tinnie delay allowed the men of the 2nd Rifles to close in with the Tinnie mass.

"Time for you to get off MY island!" Lance Corporal David screamed as the first Tinnie came into his bayonet's reach. A staggered line of men slammed into the Tinnies ranks marking the first bayonet charge by the men of the 2nd Rifles in the unit's recorded history.


	8. Reunion

"I had a bayonet, they didn't."-Medal of Honor recipient Walter Ehlers' reply to a question asked by his friend about why he assaulted a German mortar position manned by nine German troops using only his bayonet

* * *

London, England

August 11th, 2011

Rifleman Kyle thought he was really going to die as he rushed headlong into the Tinnie mass. He felt strange though. He wasn't scared like he was before. Well he was a little but not like before. He felt completely at ease as he ran towards certain death. In matter of fact he never felt so at ease with himself as he was right then at there. There was only one thing that bothered him; the Tinnies hadn't blown him apart yet. He didn't waste his chance. Rifleman Kyle fired his last two rounds into a Tinnie's chest making it fall over like a toy soldier. He dropped his L129 and pulled out his Browning Hi-Power. He emptied an entire clip into a Tinnie dropping it. As he reloaded he heard a sound that sent a chill running up his spine. He looked over his shoulder and saw whatever was left of 2nd Rifles charging with bayonets fixed. So he wasn't going to die alone.

"Time for you to get off MY island!" Lance Corporal David screamed as the first Tinnie came within his bayonet's reach. He thrust the pointy attachment of his rifle into a Tinnie's chest and twisted it. The Tinnie let out a shrill screeching sound and tried to swipe at Lance Corporal David. He easily ducked it and shoved the Tinnie back. Another Tinnie thrust forward with its gun like appendage missing him by mere centimeters. Lance Corporal David batted the Tinnie's arm to the ground and slashed at its head. When that produced no visible results Lance Corporal David resulted to fighting dirty. He kicked the Tinnie in its right knee joint breaking it and send the Tinnie down to one knee. Lance Corporal David pulled his Browning Hi-Power out of its holster with his left hand and delivered a single bullet to the Tinnie's head. The back of the Tinnie's head splattered outwards putting that one out of commission. Two more Tinnies came charging at him. He fired off the rest of the magazine missing most shots but killing the two aliens in the end. He'd have to learn to shoot with his left hand later if there was a later. He reholstered his pistol and went towards the next Tinnie. It was on top of a fellow soldier pounding the pour buggers face in with its gun. He thrust the bayonet into the back of the Tinnie's head and lifted with all his might. He didn't know how he did it but he lifted the Tinnie over his head and smashed it into the bridge. He was surprised the bayonet didn't break or snap. He turned back around to see if the soldier was okay. His head looked like someone took a hammer to a watermelon. Disgusted, Lance Corporal David turned around. He turned around just in time to see a Tinnie about to bring his bulky arm/weapon down on his own head.

Rifleman Andrew threw all his weight into the Tinnie that threatened his fellow section member. The Tinnie, caught by surprise, was thrown off balance and was sent skittering to the ground. Rifleman Andrew landed right on top of it and didn't waste a moment. Despite how much it hurt he punched the Tinnie in the head again and again to keep it stunned. Rifleman Andrew thought he might have broken all of his knuckles in his right hand when Lance Corporal drove a knife into the Tinnies head silencing it for good.

"Thanks, mate." Lance Corporal David said as he quickly helped Rifleman Andrew up. Lance Corporal David couldn't help but notice how sweaty and beaten Rifleman Andrew was. His left eye was swollen shut and looked like a plum. The normally pale kid seemed almost white now.

"No problem, sir." Rifleman Andrew panted. Not a second after Rifleman Andrew said that Lance Corporal David threw him to the ground and crouched at the same time. A Tinnie bolted past them missing by a full foot. Lance Corporal David pivoted on his heels and lunged at the Tinnie's back with his bayonet. The bayonet went right through the Tinnie's back and out the front. The Tinnie struggled for a bit before going limp.

Rifleman Andrew got up ignoring the fierce burning in his lungs. Three Tinnies came running at him. His grip tightened on his rifle as he yelled, "Is that all you got, mate!" The Tinnies didn't slow down. He sidestepped one just to be shoved to the ground by another. His bayonet tripped one up sending it to the ground. Lance Corporal David grabbed a L85A2 off the ground and emptied what remained of the magazine into the two standing Tinnies. Rifleman Andrew was on top of the next Tinnie not a second later bashing its head in with a tire iron that lay on the ground.

Rifleman Kyle fired the last round of his Browning Hi-Power into a Tinnie's leg crippling it. He grabbed his entrenching tool from his thigh and tore it free from the Velcro pocket that held it. He hit a Tinnie in the neck with it nearly taking off its head. The Tinnie, with its head dangling by a few strands of stringy stuff, swung wildly. It took Rifleman Kyle some effort to dodge all of the blows. He was just so tired. The last of the Tinnie's blows grazed his right thigh sending a jolt of pain running through his leg.

"If you wanna touch there you at least gotta buy me dinner first!" Rifleman Kyle bellowed as he put the serrated edge of the entrenching tool into the Tinnie's chest. Suddenly he felt a crippling pain in his right arm. He let go of the entrenching tool and grabbed at his shattered arm. A Tinnie kicked him in the chest sending him flying several meters. As he skidded across the ground he felt all of his ribs break. He came to a rest by the hood of a police car. He just looked up at the sky as fluid filled his chest cavity. Something important was punctured. He coughed up blood sending flecks of the stuff all across his face. Something important had to be punctured.

Corporal Willis looked at the scene on the bridge in horror. His fellow soldiers in the 2nd Rifles were getting slaughtered. There were just too many Tinnies. His men were out there getting killed and there was nothing he could do. He looked over at Rifleman Justin. He was curled up under a desk crying and saying he wanted to go home over and over again. The kid had had all he could take. He was lost for now. He grabbed Rifleman Justin's rifle and all the magazines he had with him. Rifleman Justin didn't even seem to notice. Just as he stepped out the door he ran into someone he'd never expect to run into at a time like this.

"Hugh?" Corporal Willis asked bewildered. He had to be dreaming. Something like this just didn't happen on the battlefield.

"Yeah." The man wearing a battered uniform replied as he slung a L85A2 over his shoulder. Corporal Willis could just barely make out the 40th Commando's unit patch on his shoulder. Fifteen men behind him were just as beat as him. They all looked tired and worn out. Like they haven't been able to just sit down and relax since this all began. "Long time no see, brother." Colonel Hugh Westmorland said with a tired smile.


	9. Easy as Pie

"I am your worst nightmare. I have conquered fear. I have come to terms with terror and pain is my best friend. I will come from the sea. I will disappear without trace. My brothers will lay down their lives for me as I will for them. I am that which protects the realm. I am that which protects my people. I am the one who serves not only my God, Queen and Country, but my squad, my team, my friends, and my family also. I am their protector. I am their knight. I am your worst nightmare. I am a Royal Marine Commando."-Royal Marine Commando Slogan Printed on a Recruitment Poster

* * *

London, England

August 11th, 2011

Three Hours Earlier Along the Northern Defensive Line

"Hold the line! Hold the line!" came the piercing screech in Second Lieutenant Hugh's earpiece. He wiped the sweat from his head with his sleeve and peaked around the scorched Challenger 2 that blocked the intersection. About a dozen British soldiers were running towards him heading to the fall back position at St. Pauls Cathedral. In the back of his mind he knew the Tinnies weren't far behind. His platoon sergeant, Sergeant Andy Roche, slid into cover next to him.

"What's the situation?" Second Lieutenant Hugh asked curtly. He was still looking around the destroyed vehicle watching as the last British infantrymen ran past. They'd failed to hold the bridge against the alien onslaught and now it was up to his platoon to hold them back.

"Everyone's fine. Well as fine as a man can be knowing that their country is being invaded by fucking aliens." Second Lieutenant Hugh looked back at Sergeant Andy who was smiling. His face said cut the shit and give it to me straight. Sergeant Andy got the message real quick. "We're as ready as we can be. We have plenty of ammo and good fields of fire. The mortar section is standing by for a fire mission."

"Good. Give them these firing coordinates. If I yell 'Zulu, Zulu, Zulu' on the radio I want them to throw as many high explosive rounds at these coordinates as they can." Second Lieutenant Hugh said. He reached under his body armour and pulled out a scrap of paper. Sergeant Andy took it and gave it a look over.

"These grid coordinates are our position, sir." Sergeant Andy said glumly. He looked at Second Lieutenant Hugh and saw he was just staring at his rifle. "I understand, sir. Too bad the boys manning the mortars won't get the satisfaction of plastering us and the Tinnies. We won't let them get that far." Second Lieutenant Hugh did smile this time. "I'm going to check on that heavy weapons detachment. They've been having some problems with the fifty cal." Sergeant Andy checked to make sure he was clear and bolted off.

Second Lieutenant Hugh thumbed his radio piece connecting him to the FOB at Heathrow. "King this is Rook. We are in position and awaiting orders, over."

"Roger that Rook. Orders are to hold position and defend the area against hostile forces. Repeat orders, over."

"Hold position and defend area against hostile forces, roger. Interrogative: will we have air support, over?"

"Affirmative. A squadron of Typhoons are on stand-by at FOB loaded with GBU-16s. They can be on station in ten mikes, over."

"Roger that. Rook out, over." Second Lieutenant Hugh took his finger off the button cutting off his line with the FOB.

Suddenly the harsh report of the fifty cal broke the eerie calm. "Sergeant Andy report!" Second Lieutenant Hugh barked into the radio. He could hear Sergeant Andy breathing heavily and shouting at a section leader to keep his head down. He looked up at the building that the HMG and Sergeant Andy were holed up in.

"Multiple Boxes incoming!" Sergeant Andy yelled using the nickname for the Tinnie Walking Tanks. "I see three…no four Boxes heading towards us! They're accompanied by a heavy contingent of Tinnies! Estimated strength a full company! Keep your fucking head down Joe! Sir, we're outnumbered and outgunned here! I said keep your fucking head down!"

Second Lieutenant Hugh peaked around his cover. In the distance he could see the hazy outline of the Boxes in question. The tracers from the .50 led him right to it. He couldn't see the Tinnies though. "Sergeant, where are the Tinnies?"

"At the foot of the bridge. We're hammering em with the fifty but they're coming in thick."

"Okay keep doing what you're doing. I'm calling in mortars."

"Roger that, sir. Give em 'ell."

Lance Corporal Jerome Taylor was three hundred meters behind the rest of his platoon dug in to the right of St. Pauls Cathedral. His section's four L16A2 81mm mortars were housed in a semicircular firing pit that was separate from the rest of the defenses now surrounding the church. Despite the distance all of them heard the distinctive sound of a fifty caliber machine gun hammering away.

"You have the mortars lined up? he asked his mortar mate, Marine Mickey Loomis, as he slung his L22 carbine over his shoulder. The L22 was almost the same as the L85A2 but much, much shorter. Kind of like the Yank M-16 and M4.

"Fifteen high explosive mortars ready to be fired and fifteen more on stand-by." Marine Mickey replied lining up the last of the mortar rounds next to the stand. His L22 sat on the edge of the dugout.

"Good. Now since you're new and everything let's just go over the basics." Lance Corporal Jerome said crossing two muscular black arms across his chest.

"I hand you the mortar, you yell clear, you drop the mortar down the tube, and then we both turn away." Marine Mickey replied holding up one finger for each step.

"Good and you keep your mouth open when the mortar fires because?" Lance Corporal Jerome trusted the kid but he was just that, a kid. He was fresh out of specialist training and joined the unit a mere two days ago. He was scrawny as a stick and at the moment he didn't have his helmet on so his longer than regulation bright red curly hair stuck out in every which way.

"So I don't get me nose cleaned out by the pressure wave." Marine Mickey said tapping his freckle covered nose with his pointing finger. Lance Corporal Jerome nodded approvingly. The radio on the edge of the firing it suddenly sparked to life.

"Sledgehammer this is Rook One! Fire mission! Barrage of high explosives at grid location delta three!

"This is it, kid!" Lance Corporal Jerome whooped as he took his position next to the mortar and started adjusting the elevation of the mortar. Marine Mickey was already on the other side straightening up all the mortars.

"Round!" Marine Mickey barked pulling the pin and handing the HE mortar to Lance Corporal Jerome. He took it and held the round above the opening of the tube.

"Fire for effect Sledgehammer! I repeat; fire for effect!"

"Round out!" Corporal Jerome yelled as he dropped the mortar down the tube and immediately turned away and closed his eyes. He felt the concussion in his chest even though he was facing away from the weapon. The sound, combined with three other mortars firing, left his ears ringing. He stood up and held out his hands for another round.

"Good effect Sledgehammer! Keep it coming!"

Marine Mickey was slower to react but after a few seconds stood up and handed another armed mortar to Lance Corporal Jerome. He had to stifle a laugh when he saw Marine Mickey's face. A thick glob of almost grey snot covered Marine Mickey's upper lip and dribbled down his chin.

"I forgot to open my mouth." Marine Mickey mumbled just before ducking down again. This time he didn't forget to open his mouth.

Sergeant Andy watched triumphantly as barrage after barrage of mortars ate up the Tinnie infantry. He fired a few rounds in the general direction of the Tinnies hoping he hit something. The Tinnies were too far to fire at accurately but you never knew if you could hit them if you didn't try. His radio squawked to life in his ear.

"Andy, I need you to take some men with Javelins and take out those Boxes before they get closer. Those things can do way too much bloody damage and I need them dead yesterday."

"Roger that, Le_f_tenant. I'll have those fuckers wishing they never came here." Sergeant Andy replied confidently. He knew that Second Lieutenant Hugh made him platoon sergeant because he could rely on him. He was not going to let his friend and platoon leader down.

Sergeant Andy looked around the room. "Pippin, Marcus, Michael, and Cortez with me." Sergeant Andy said pointing to each man as he called their name. "We're going Tinnie hunting." The four marines hefted their FGM-148 Javelins on their backs and followed Sergeant Andy down the stairs. Once down he ran half way across the street to where Second Lieutenant Hugh was taking cover behind a tank. The Tinnie's were now in proper rifle range and the men of Third Platoon were now giving them hell. The Boxes though were standing ominously out of range. Either the Tinnies had never heard of combined arms or they had supreme confidence in their infantry.

Second Lieutenant Hugh pointed to the ruins of a building to their left. "Take positions over there. I have another section over there already and they report they are taking heavy fire. Your mission is two pronged. Primary mission is taking out the Tinnie armour and secondary is supporting Section Delta. Understood?"

"Understood, sir." Sergeant Andy said nodding. He turned back to the three marines behind him and relayed the plan. "Marine Pippin, give me your Javelin. You'll use your el-One-Ten to suppress the Tinnies. Oi?"

"Oi." Marine Pippin Sheldon said as he shrugged the launcher off his shoulder and handed it to Sergeant Andy. He slung the weapon on his back with a _ummph_ surprised at how heavy it was. He turned back to Second Lieutenant Hugh who was trying to clear a jam at the moment.

"Wish me luck?"

"I _wish _you'd go where ordered and slot those Boxes before they turn us into piles of bones." Second Lieutenant Hugh said still struggling with the jam.

"Easy as pie, sir." Sergeant Andy said with a smirk. He turned towards the four marines again. "Time to earn that unit badge!" he barked. Sergeant Andy checked to see where the Tinnies were once and bolted off. Even with the extra forty-six pounds on his back he ran like a sprinter. The four marines weren't far behind.

* * *

**Okay you probably noticed two things; the change in characters and the lack of action.**

**I changed the characters and went back a few hours to show just how fierce the fighting along the NDL was and to show just how the 40th Commando went from there to meeting up with the remains of 2nd Rifles. **

**The lack of action is to let you get to know the new characters a little. Trust me this company of Tinnies is little more than a scouting party for a much,, much larger force. The action will pick up in the next chapter and increase in tempo from there.**

**Also I noticed a small mistake in the chapter before this. I put Colonel Hugh instead of Second Lieutenant Hugh. Not sure how I did that but it is meant to be second lieutenant.**


End file.
